Still dining at same place after 77 years

Check out this profile of a 93-year-old who has been dining at Sardi’s, the famous Manhattan theater hangout, since he was a teenager.

What restaurant(s) do you have the longest dining relationship with? I’ve eaten most frequently over the most years — Sundays at noon, at least 45 weeks annually, since 1999 — at the Lark Tavern. (Sigh.)

I haven’t been there recently, but The Italian Community Center/Le Caravelle/The Italian Club on Washington Ave Ext has been a mainstay in my family since I can remember. So I guess 30 years? We go a few times a year.

I’m another for The Fountain. We have visited regularly since 1977 and prior to that my Dad brought us take out from The Fountain.

Also – The Barnsider. Been going since it was located in Colonie Center.

Reel Seafood – We were there the week they opened and still go 5 or 6 times a year.

Ralphs on Central ave in Colonie. My parents took us and now I take my kids plus nieces and nephews.

Joes on Hamburg St. in Rotterdam. Parents took us and so did Aunts and Uncles.

Places we still miss and would still be going to … John Picollo’s Rib Room, L-Kens, Valley’s Steak House, The Lobster Pound, The Springs in Mass, Joe’s of Madison Ave, Platt’s of Wolf Rd. The Lexington Grill, Citones on Quail St. and the A-Frame.

As much as I would like, I can’t dine EVERY time at a top notch restaurant. Sometimes I have to, er,….. slum it. For years it was always Mr Subb – until recently. Two events have combined to make me a former customer.

A few weeks ago I was getting a tuna sub, and commenting that the sandwich seemed a little lite on the tuna. The sandwich maker told me they were recently advised by the district manager that they were putting too much “product” in the sandwiches.

Then last Friday I was in the Northern Blvd location to get a Neba. As it was being prepared I placed a $5 bill on the counter. The counterman then asked for $ 5.28. Noticing my confusion the counterman said “Tax”. I looked at the menu / price board behind the counter, saw the price for a Neba (plain, basic) as $ 4.28. I immediately thought to myself – those fools in the capital went and increased the sales tax 20% when no one was paying attention! After discussion, it seems Mr Subb raised their prices, but the new sign wouldn’t be installed for another week or so. I commented that I didn’t think it was proper to display one price while charging another, turned, and walked out of a Mr Subb for the last time ever.

We moved here in ’93 and have been eating at Milano in Newtonville, River Street Cafe in Troy, and My Linh (both the old lower Madison Avenue and current Delaware Avenue locations) steadily and regularly since we arrived, so those are our big three dinner out places as a family. Personally, I’ve probably consumed far more meals, though, in the Latham Circle Diner, since I do a LOT of breakfasts and lunches there. I think it opened around ’95 if I recall correctly, soon after we arrived.

It’s hard to find a place that stays good — seems like every time a local place becomes a mainstay for me, eventually, the place goes downhill. Sadly, the places I’ve gone for years that haven’t aged badly are pretty much all chains at this point.

I’ll second the nostalgia for L-Kens and for Joe’s Deli on Madison, another old time regular spot was Calsolaro’s on Washington Ave. The only old time favorites of mine left would be the Orchard Tavern and the Barnsider.

My husband, our 3 children, and I enjoyed Citone’s for years also, iamadog. It was our favorite place and we tried to eat there at least once a month. Their eggplant and veal parmisian were the best, bar none! I miss it!

I’ve been a patron of Lombardo’s my entire life (54 years). The Purple Pub is another place that we have frequented since it opened about 35 years ago. The Old Journey’s End restaurant in Averill Park was not only a regular place with my family when I was a kid, but was also a special event restaurant for my father when he was young. He remembers going there for dinner in the 1930’s when he was only 5-6 years old. That was a great upscale restaurant; it’s too bad it closed years ago.